OJ Simpson, whose death was announced on Thursday, went from Heisman Trophy-winning star college running back to a Hall-of-Fame NFL career before becoming an ad pitchman in iconic Hertz rental car TV ads and comic actor in the "Naked Gun" movies.

But it was his 1994 arrest — at the end of a nationally televised, 60-mile, low-speed police chase in his white Ford Bronco — and ultimate jury acquittal at trial in the grisly murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson and her acquaintance Ronald Goldman, for which he will forever be remembered.

The case was aptly dubbed "The Trial of the Century" and drew large audiences and extensive news coverage. And his legal defense of high-profile and equally high-priced attorneys was known as "The Dream Team."

Simpson met Nicole Brown in 1977 while she was working as a waitress in Beverly Hills.

They married in 1985 and had two children. The couple divorced in 1992 and Nicole Brown Simpson was stabbed to death in 1994 along with Goldman.

Hours-long live coverage of his slow-speed chase around southern California after the killings captivated millions of TV viewers.

Police arrested him after he finally returned to his home.

The trial lasted nearly a year and became a national obsession.

His "Dream Team" included Johnnie Cochran Jr., personal friend Robert Kardashian, Alan Dershowitz and F. Lee Bailey.

The trial featured many lasting memories, including a pivotal moment when he was asked to put on a pair of gloves believed to be worn by the killer and Simpson said they didn't fit.

Some key players from OJ Simpson's murder trial:

Kato Kaelin - He was a minor witness for the prosecution but became a minor celebrity do to the extensive coverage. He was staying in a guest house on Simpson's estate and was there the night of the murders. His story of Simpson's movements that night seemed to contradict Simpson's version of the events.

Marcia Clark - The deputy district attorney was the lead prosecutor. She started the case by arguing that the domestic violence within the marriage lead to her eventual murder.

LAPD Detective Mark Fuhrman - He testified in connection with a bloody glove found at Simpson's house and also denied defense claims that he had used racist terms.

Christopher Darden - Clark's co-counsel surprised her when he asked Simpson to try on the glove during the trial.

A jury eventually acquitted Simpson.

"I don't think most of America believes I did it," he told The New York Times after the trial. "I've gotten thousands of letters and telegrams from people supporting me."

Simpson was later found liable for the deaths in a civil trial in 1997 and ordered to pay $33.5 million to the victim's families.

On October 3, 2008-exactly 13 years after he was acquitted of murder, Simpson was convicted by a jury in Las Vegas and sentenced to prison for a 2007 armed robbery of two sports collectibles dealers in a Las Vegas casino hotel.

Simpson claimed he was simply trying to get his own items back.

Simpson was 76 and died of cancer, according to his family.